Benjamin Franklin’s thoughts are relevant even today…..

As I stepped out of my car in the parking lot of a prominent building, I noticed these pipe clamps which were used to support the drainage pipes. Being deeply entrenched in the MEP industry, the natural instinct as we enter any building is to look up and examine the cable trays , ducting and the piping installations , a trait which till today my family is unable to understand. The building about three years old, was quite a prestigious one in a well known business district in the heart of the city. It was a project , I remembered?we walked away from as we were unable to meet the “budget” of the contractor for pipe support systems. Obviously a competitor managed to meet the expectations of the contractor.?

The product which was eventually in an indoor car park was already rusting, and the liner had cracked. It was clear that the zinc coating on the clamp was poor, and the liner never did its job of absorbing the sound from the drainage pipes. This means the person one level lower would have live information of the bathroom habits of the above occupants. ?If installed horizontally this product has a danger of failing and damaging the area below. Plumbing being the most basic installation, I wouldn’t dare look at the installation systems in the fire fighting and mechanical services. In the unlikely event of a fire, we would not even be sure if the pipe hangers would be efficient enough to withstand the high water pressure passing through the pipes. More than regular maintenance would be required to plug the condensation caused by using improper fixing in chilled water systems. ?It was a clear indication that the stakeholders considered supports as an irrelevant part of the project. The current situation is more challenging as raw materials and freight costs have increased dramatically , but the contractor’s so called “budgets” are lower than previous prices. No guessing the quality of the material they will receive from vendors which match their budgets in these times.

This bought to mind Benjamin Franklin, who famously remarked , “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of a low price is forgotten.”

Pipe Supports and many other products are small parts within potentially huge projects. It is important for even the smallest part to do its job properly and make your work easier and more efficient. Even the tiniest parts can deliver great value if constructed, applied and supplied in smart ways. Unfortunately the burden of cost reduction falls on the shoulders of these products which are not considered in the estimation stage, and if compromised on can cause massive losses to the project. Manufacturing standards , strength of the supplier and reputation need to be considered along with the prices to ensure after sales services and warranty.